I fell in love with a 991 Carrera S Cabriolet (short report)
I had the luck to get a brand new 991 Carrera S Cabriolet for the weekend, we had very sunny and hot weather out here in Bavaria (33-36°C) and it was just perfect for a cab.
Car was equipped with Sport Chrono and the Sport Exhaust. No PDCC though.
I hadn't driven a 991 Carrera for some while and I was surprised how refined the car feels and drives now. Compared to my "old" 997 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, the new 991 Carrera S is a different world.
The good and the not so good in some short sentences.
GOOD
- very good open air feeling, with the side windows down, this car rocks in nice weather
- very direct steering (though not as "firm" as I would have expected it, probably due to the Power Steering Plus), gets better at higher speeds
- Sport Chrono is a must have option, without it, the throttle feels not very responsive, the Sport and Sport Plus modes rock and even with Sport Plus active, the car still has tons of traction, there are basically no traction issues on dry pavement
- the Sport Exhaust is soooooo loud, I couldn't believe it. Up to 3000 rpm, the sound is just loud and not very Porsche like but over 3000 rpm and especially over 5000 rpm, the engine screams so loud that it is almost unbearable for the outside world (and for the co-passengers in the rear who had to keep their ears covered). Not sure if the car was in "dealer presentation mode " (the exhaust loudness wasn't cut off at certain speeds, it was there all the time, which was kind of weird) but this is the actually the first time I was using the sport exhaust button...to mute it down.
- PDK: I just love it. It shifts fast (much faster than the PDK on my 997 Carrera GTS) and even in auto mode, it shifts just "right". Actually, I was driving in manual mode all the time because it was so much fun to use, very good setup. So if people aren't happy with PDK, switch to manual mode. You don't have a clutch but I really don't care. PDK is also a must have option in my opinion.
- Engine: A little bit on the non-impressive side under 4000 rpm but if you rev it high over 5000 rpm, you not only get the engine screaming, it really revs freely up to the rev limiter. Very nice and sporty. It doesn't feel "numb" at higher rev figures, which is quite nicely.
- Chassis setup: The PASM sport setting is actually all you need, not too stiff with even a little bit comfort left. Very nice setup. I also didn't miss PDCC much but I have to admit that I could feel the lack of it. On the Autobahn, in high speed curves, the car felt and was very stable, no typical 911 "nervousness" as on older models.
- Engine power quite sufficient: I never looked much on the speedo but I was always quite fast at speeds of over 200 kph (125 mph), so the engine is quite sufficient for a sports car. You never actually feel the need for much more power in daily driving situations, something I wish I could say too about the Boxster S I test-drove (I always wished for a l ittle bit more, especially in the upper rev range).
- Cab roof very quiet when closed, also opens/closes pretty fast. I was able to open/close it at speeds up to 65 kph on the speedo, which was quite nice.
- Looks and attraction factor: Well, if you think a 991 Carrera S Cab doesn't attract attention, think again. So many people starred at this car, kids were pointing at it and wherever we parked, people came over and admired the car. We also had some negative reaction, mainly because of the loud exhaust but otherwise, it was quite a pleasant driving experience.
NOT SO GOOD
- Under 3000 rpm, the sport exhaust doesn't really sound like a Porsche 911, it is more of a generic and loud humming noise. Over 3000 rpm and especially over 5000 rpm however...well...the exhaust rocks.
- Price tag: Quite pricey (over 140k) for a 911.
- The steering is direct, it doesn't feel artificial at all (like on early 991 models) but it feels a little bit detached from the street. You can still steer very precisely and you get a feel for the road surface but still, I had to get used to it.
- Fuel consumption: I did it. Over 21 l / 100 km in a 991 Carrera S Cab. Ouch. My average fuel consumption after some mixed Autobahn/country road/city driving (always in Sport Plus mode and always shifting in manual mode) was 18 l / 100 km. Yes, I kind of had fun with the car all the time but in more quiet moments, fuel consumptions below 15 l / 100 km were possible.
- Interior is nice but I have to admit that it isn't quite worthy a 140k EUR car. The car had black leather all around but some deviating stitching and some carbon would have done wonders. Overall, it looks nice but Porsche needs to upgrade the interior at some point.
- Back seats: While slightly better than in the 997 Cab, there isn't much comfort left. They aren't too comfortable and shouldn't be used for longer distances. My 12 years old daughter already felt very uncomfortable after 50 km and my wife couldn't feel her feet anymore after she let my son ride in the front seat for 30 km. On the other hand, without using the back seats for passengers, you actually get an additional and pretty large cargo space.
My wife fell in love with this car and so did I. Unfortunately we also realized that we do not need (or want) the back seats because they are very uncomfortable, even for kids. I just wish Porsche would offer a Boxster with the same engine because to be frank, the Boxster S I drove a while ago wasn't even half the fun of this 991 Carrera S Cab. On the other hand, the Boxster S is half the money of this car, so maybe we are going to go for a Boxster S in the end, despite our newly found love for the 991 Cab.
If you are in the market for a cab and the price tag doesn't keep you away, the 991 Carrera S Cab is an amazing offer from Porsche. Just make sure you listen to the sport exhaust before you order it. Yes, you can turn it off but to be honest, I think it is a bit too loud for crowded areas (cities, etc.). I can't even believe I said this.
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RC (Germany) - Rennteam Editor Porsche 991 Turbo S (Sept. 2013), Cayenne GTS (958), BMW X3 35d (2013)